There's so much going on in the world today and so much conflicting information, sometimes it's hard to tell up from down and left from right. Like all of you, I'm watching the news intently and trying to balance reasonable precautions without lapsing into panic mode. Here, have a picture the dogs begging for popcorn. That always helps me: I'm not the ultimate authority on epidemiology, but I am surrounded by people who live and research in this space. I trust what they say, so I pass it ... Read more »
Blog
Would You Have Done What this Doctor Did?
*Warning: mentions suicide* As I sat on the couch with Ollie sprawled over my lap, I sighed and mentioned to my husband that, yet again, another veterinarian has died by suicide. She was a mother with two little boys, a practice owner, and by all accounts seemingly happy. We can guess all we want about what desperation, what chemical lies, were swirling in her brain- but we will never know. This sort of thing was shocking once, but now it’s a dejected “oh no, not again.” You’ve probably ... Read more »
I Told a Big Old Lie
I told a big truth and a big lie all in the same day, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I was on my way home after a busy weekend at the AVMA convention in DC. Somehow, after 10+ years of this blog and a book and constant writing, I had figured out that hey maybe storytelling is kind of your thing and there might be a way to help my colleagues do the same. So I spoke about the importance of storytelling in our work, and it was great, and it reminded me of my roots here at ... Read more »
What You Should Know About the FDA Alert on Grain Free Dog Foods
A recent FDA alert about the possible connection between grain free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy has been gaining momentum. I'm getting tons of questions about it, and I'm learning as much as I can too. Let me start by saying this: we ALL want what's best for our pets. We might have different approaches for getting there, but that's the goal. For the video version, check out my interview with Dr. Lisa Weeth, DVM, DACVN: You can tell by my intense face we were having a GREAT ... Read more »
Two Words With Anthony Bourdain
My interaction was limited to two words and they weren’t very exciting ones. I’m not impressed by celebrities. I lived in LA for five years surrounded by them, and other than looking over my shoulder and saying, “Oh, you’re right, there’s Ashley Judd” I kept my interactions to a minimum. I guess I should say I’m not impressed by Hollywood celebrities, because there are other people with whom I am very much starstruck, people I would wait in line for hours to meet and ... Read more »
Summer is Coming! Travel Tips for Pups
Every summer, our family makes the trek from San Diego to Seattle for a little family vacation. Usually we fly, but twice in the past years we’ve driven so the dogs could come as well. I’m not going to lie- it takes some preparation and work to manage a road trip with kids and dogs, but the fun of having the entire family together at our little lake cabin makes it all worthwhile. And as it turned out, dear Brody passed away this winter, so I am even more glad we put in the ... Read more »
This One Little Tip Could Save Your Dog’s Life
At pawcurious, we’re both saddened and bemused when scrolling through the clickbait pseudoscience of “natural pet advice” websites. We decided, initially, to post a Top Five List of some of the just plain bad advice commonly dispensed by people with no formal education in veterinary medicine, science, or critical thinking. But after getting through just one, I was so exhausted by cutting through the garbage caked on like tartar on the teeth of dog who’s had nothing but anesthesia-free dentals ... Read more »
6 Myths About Veterinary Telemedicine We Need to Get Over
The very first time I used my insurance program's telemedicine service to call and get a prescription for a minor problem that nonetheless couldn't wait for Monday, I had two thoughts: This is awesome (Friday night at the ER is no bueno). I wonder when this is going to be a reality in veterinary medicine. This was, hmmm, maybe 2015 or so. I asked the people around me what they thought and they all laughed and said it was never going to happen, just like they said to me in 2010 when I ... Read more »
I’m Here, and I’m Also…Somewhere Supercool
I launched pawcurious in 2009. Can you believe it? Close to a decade ago. The landscape then was vastly different: Blogs were the hot new thing- like, it was cool to be a blogger, people still carted around huge DSLR cameras, and people were willing to invest in reading long stories about people's struggles with organic baby food preparation (long live the mommybloggers!) The blog has always been a reflection of the fact that I want pet owners to know things, to ask questions, and to have ... Read more »
Here’s To New Adventures: Meet Dakota
What a first quarter. I lost Brody in January. I am still mourning him, deeply. He unequivocally answered the question of whether or not you can have more than one heart dog in your life. The answer is yes. My husband (and my son) asked me, shortly after Brody died, if we would be getting another dog. It seemed a silly question to ask me of all people, sitting there with my puffy eyes holding my chest like pressing it would somehow staunch the bleeding. Of course we would. Two weeks ... Read more »
